Once you’ve decided to enrol in an
intensive English program in the United States, take some time to
consider ways to maximise the experience. Examining the skills and
attitudes of successful language learners will give you insight
into strategies for successful English language learning.
Research in the field of language indicates that there are many
things you can do to become a successful learner. Some people may
have special abilities linguistically, but most of us can "learn
to learn" language effectively. Curiosity about language and
culture, daily study, and the commitment to use English in every
possible situation while in an English-speaking environment, are
very important conditions for success.
Motivation and attitude play a significant role in successful language
learning. Listed here are some useful hints to encourage success
in your new experiences. Combined with the expert assistance of
knowledgeable instructors and reliable intensive English programs,
attention to these ideas will help you gain focus in your studies
so that you can learn English more effectively.
Be clear and realistic about your goals. Your sense of
success will depend on your needs for English and whether or not
you meet your needs. It is not just a question of measured progress.
If you need conversational fluency, note-taking skills will not
meet your needs. If you must learn to write effective business
letters, informal conversation with current slang will not help
you achieve your goal. Know what your goals are. Do you need English
for occasional speaking situations, for travel or entertaining
English-speaking visitors? Do you want to improve comprehension
in both written and spoken English? Do your need to write English
for professional purposed? Are you preparing for a university
career in English? If so, your goals must include proficiency
in all skill areas.
Learning a foreign language is an inexact process. Very few people
learn to use a foreign language as well as a native speaker does.
Fortunately, very few people need to learn English like a native
English speaker in every skill area. Be realistic and aware of your
goals.. There are many reasons to learn English, and your reasons
are your own goals. Administrators and instructors in intensive
English programs are aware of the wide range of approaches and curricula
available. Be sure to select an intensive English program which
accommodates your language goals.
Be realistic about the length of time it takes to learn a
language. Programs which promise overnight success are simply
not being honest. Language learning is a cumulative process. You
will experience bursts of accomplishment as well blocks and delays
in progress. You will notice improvement at different speeds in
each skill area. Many students progress more quickly in passive
skill areas (reading and grammar analysis) than in active and
complex skill areas (speaking, notetaking during a lecture). If
you are beginning level student whose goal is proficiency, a typical
program may include at least nine months of intensive English
study. If your study program is short-term and your goals include
improvement and review rather than proficiency, you may realise
some progress in two or more weeks.
Be aware of your learning style. If you know that you
learn more quickly when you listen to an English statement a few
times before writing it, or if you know that seeing a picture
or graphic representation of a word or expression helps you to
remember the word, the develop study habits which use the most
effective techniques for you. Excellent instructors who know that
students must be involved in active learning will created active
learning experiences to connect you with the language.
When you have determined your best learning style. Talk with your
English instructor(s) about additional opportunities to practice
English and to make progress. Instructors will design class activities
and assignments to match the preferred learning styles of students.
Learn something about ‘language learning’. Remember
that language is a complex system of meaningful sounds organised
with a series of rules (grammar). Every student has studies enough
pronunciation, grammar and sentence structure to understand this!
It is also true that language is a form of behaviour involving
the human need to communicate and to be understood. Language learning
involves motivation, emotion, a sense of self, and a set of cultural
beliefs. Language is much more than sound and words and grammar.
As you learn a new language, you will produce a ‘series of
successive approximations’, meaning that each attempt at
a new language will bring closer to effective communication. Language
learning requires that you make mistakes. Do not be afraid of
a language or afraid of making errors. Develop an ability to relax;
‘playing’ with a new language is an important part of
learning.
There is a significant research on the nature of language acquisition.
It is important to know about the process you are involved in, so
that you will understand the challenges of your study, your feelings
and responses, and your progress.
Take responsibility for your own learning. A good instructor
is half the equation for successful language learning. Take charge
of your learning. Take charge of your learning; participate actively
in your program. Look for opportunities to use your new language
in any of many new environments. Be willing to make mistakes and
learn from these mistakes. Focus on your goals, your study habits,
and your willingness to ‘learn to learn’. Enjoy the
process! Find inside yourself the reasons you want to learn, and
determine ways to evaluate your success for yourself.
Your instructors and program administrators will appreciated that
you have clear and realistic goals. They will respect your commitment
to learning. They will respond to your efforts and encourage an
open and positive student-instructor relationship. And they will
applaud your progress. Your success is your reward!
Biographical Information: Cindy Barnes Ochoa is Director of Executive
English Program for the Intensive English Institute, a Portland,
Oregon based organisation which offers intensive English for students
and business people at 10 locations throughout the United States.
She is president of the American Association of Intensive English
Programs.
Author: Cindy Barncs Ochoa, President, AAIEP
The American Association of Intensive English Programs (AAIEP)
is a US professional organisation with more than 250 members, each
representing a post-secondary intensive English program. AAIE sets
and maintains high standards for intensive programs. All member
programs are required to complete a Program Self-Appraisal as a
qualification for membership in the organisation. AAIEP has an easily
recognisable logo, an umbrella covering the world. Look for this
logo in program literature, brochures, and advertisements to insure
that the English program is AAIEP - approved.
For a copy of the AAIEP member PROFILES, which describes member
programs and lists the organisation’s standards please contact.
AAIEP Central Office, 229 North 33rd Street, Philadelphia,
PA 19104
Tel: 215 895 5856 - Fax: 215 895 5854
Complete information is also available on our website: www.aaiep.org
This article first appeared in Educational Courses in Britain
